Beet pulling and topping machine.



P. M. GILBERT. BEET PULLING AND 4TOPPINGf MACHINE.

' APILIOATION FILED PEB. 11, 1909. 937,592, Patented oct.'19,19o9v V a sums-SHEET 1v.

- nueutoz wilnuou I I P. M. GILBERT. BEET PULLING AND TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.11, 1909.

Patented oct.19,19.o9.

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P. M. GILBERT.- BEET P ULLING AND TOPPING MACHINE.' v APPLIO'ATION FILED FBB.11, 1909. 937,592 Pana 009191909.

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reino M. GILBERT, yor nENNEssEY, oKtAHoivi'A.

BEET PULLING AND-Terrine MACHINE.

u I v Specification of Letters Patent.

Application nieu February 11, i909. serial No. 4725425.

To all rwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILo M. GILBERT, a citizen of the .United States, residing at Hennessey, in the countyv of Kingfisher and State of Oklahoma, haveinvented certain new andgusefulImprovements in Beet Pulling and* Topping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention vrelates to agricultural implements and consists of anovel machine designed ,for -pulling and topping'beets.

The. invention resides particularly in peculiar features of construction' the' details' and advantages of which will be'. more clearly pointed out hereinafter.

For a full underst'a" ding of the implement comprising this invent'on, reference is to be A had tothe following description, and to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure is a top plan View of the invention; Fig. 2 isa side elevation, right .hand

- wheel'not shown; Fig.- 3,- is a section taken about on the line 3-3 of Fig.l 2; Fig. 4 is a yrear elevation; Fi 5 visf1-.perspective view of the topping blade, and Fig. 6 is a section showing the movable bearings for the'puller shafts.

Similar reference characters denote similar parts., throughout the following description, and in the accompanying drawings.

Describing the general construction of the invention, the same consists of a frame including a frontA axle 1 having the small -ground wheels 2 mounted theren, and to V .which a transverse platform 3 is adjacent,

said' platform being carried by thev lower ends of the sides of'an arch 4 the upper portion of which is attache'l'jto sil'ls 5 which form a part of the upper framework `ofthe machine. The rear ends of -the sills 5 rest upon and are secured to a transverse bar 61ocated at the rear end lof the machine and connecting two castings 7 together. The castings 7 are attachedto the bar 6 by set screws 9, or like fastenings, and permit of adjustment of the distance betweenv rear larve ground wheels 10 to accommodate for diiiperent widths of beet rows; The wheels 10 are e'acli mounted upon an axle 11= journaled for rotation in a bearing 12 at the lower portion vof the adjacent casting 7. Longitudinal draft vbars 8 connect the axles 11 with the outer-,ends of the' front axle 1, as

i shown in Fig. 1. The general framework of `the machineis braced by brace rods located at different 'pointsthe same not being specifically described.

The inner ends of the axles 11j'are spaced apart and keyed thereto are drive gears 13.

`Each ldrive lgear 13 is in mesh with a bevel gear 14 mounted on the rear end of a drive shaft 15, said shaft 15 being provided at its front end with a small gear 16 in mesh with a similar gear v17. The gear 17'is mounted on the rear end of'a shaft 18, the latter supporting al revolving puller 19 at the front end of which is provided a forwardly extending eartli'auger 20. Itl is to be understood that the parts 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and

. 20, are duplicated so that the axles 11 drive cated in spaced relation. 'In other words, spaced beet pullers 19 are provided with cooperating earth angers 20, and as' the mahine is'advanced over a field the beets are received 'between the pullers 19 and are Patented Oct. 19', 1909..

two sets of the above parts which are lo- .4

grasped by said pullers, so to speak, as these l devices are rotated in opposite directions byl means of the shafts and gears just described. The pullers 19 are supported by a frame 'consisting of a cross .bar 21 arranged above the front ends of thesill's 5, and also above the rear end ofI a tongue'or draft device 22 which is pivoted, as shown at23 between the. spaced forward'extremities of said sills 5, land to which the draft animals are hitched. Depending from the. opposite end portions of the bar 21 are spaced rods 24, 'the upper vends of which pass through the cross bar 21 and are' threaded, as' at 24a, to permit'of vertical adjustment thereof by means of nuts 25. The lower ends of therods 24 are 'bent upward-ly so as to form extensions 26 embracing and receiving the body portions of the pullers, and constituting `bearings in which said pullers are adapted to rotate in ,the operation of the invention. While the pullers 19 are supported between their ends by the rods 24, the rear ends of said pullers, or rather the ,rear extremities of the shafts carrying -tliepullersl are Vconnected with the -front ends of the drive shafts 15 by meanso of small bow springs 27, said springs vcoacting to hold the gears l16 and 17in meshing relation. .In front of the small bow springs 27 is llocated a large bow spring 28 the ends of which connect' the shafts of the pullers 19 in such a mannerv as to permit a certain amount of spreading movement of the pullers in order thatgthey may accommodate for,

.tic i sh atts 15 when the beets or operate upon, beets of different sizes? The relative movement of the pullers 19 is also permitted by reason of the mounting of the drive shafts 15 which are supported at thelr rear ends by a frame 29 depending from the rear portions of the sills 5 and having bearings for said-shafts. At their front lends the i are mounted in bearings on blocks are slidably mounted in a U-shaped sujiiported on the platform 3'. AThe lblocks 3() are connected b v'bolts 32 to the plfatjtbrin and guide 31, said bolts passing through slots which permit the transverse 30 which -sliding ot the blocks made necessary by the mounting ot the pullers 1S), and because it is necessary that the invention be adapted for pulling vbeets ot' different sizes.

bet'ore premised the-invention is designed not only for pulling but also for topping beets, and for the latter uurpose it is contemplated to provide a kni e 32, said .knife being located above the pullers 19 and attached by extensions 320L to a plate 3? carried by the rods 24. rthe plate 33 is provided with vertical bearings/ receiving the rods 2t in such a manner that said plate may more 'freely up and down on these rods. "the extensions 32 oi the knife may be slotted .so as to permit adjustment of the connecting tastenings, to slightly vary the relative positions ot the plate 33 and the lt'ni't'e. Projecting forwardly from the plate 33 is a guard :it the purpose of which is to engage with the tops of the beets as vthe implement moves over the field, raise and lower thc knife 32. The guard ,3st automatically adjusts the position of the kni't'e 32 so that the 'latter will sever 'the tops ot' the beets at the proper point, even though said tops may he of ditterent sizes as is usually the case. The pnllers jleomprise tapering bodies adapted to engage the beets .as the angers 20 travel through the earth, and are pulled and topped they are allowed to drop through the space formed h v recesses 19I locatedatv the rear'ends of the pnllers. A suitable rake attachment, connected with a couplingmcnibcr 35 shown in Fig. t may be used to rake the beets tiogether 4in piles at, intervals in the length ot each row. The rake attachment forms no part otl the present invention, however.

A seat 36 is provided at the rear end ol` the machine and is attached to seat bars 3T the tront ends of which are connected loosely at 3!) with a cross-piece 40 on a floating Vtrame 4l. The iramc t-l of U torni and its rear ends are coupled to the transverse bar (3 as shown at t2. ounected with the 'liront end ot' the frame --l'l is a hand lever Zt3 the t'ront end ot. which is pivotally connected b v a plate ll with the rear end ot' the tongue 2i, see Fig. 13j' means ot the lever 423 which is pivoted at 15 to a bracket 4G connected with the front portion ot the trame in order to 41,. the rear end of the tongue 22 maybe raised or lowered as desired. In this manner the frame supporting the. pullers 19, andthe cross bar 21 of which is above therear end of the tongue 22, in order to cause the angers 2O to move out Vof or penetrate the earth, respectively.. The position of the lever 43 is tixed at a suitable adjustment by means of a suitable latch device 47.

It will be observed that the Weight of the operator v'on the seat 36 counterbalancesthe of the tongue to adjust. the pullers 1 9 so as to throw the same into and out'of operation, is greatly facilitated. Guards 48- are seof theaXles 11, and these guards support stirrups 49 in which the feet of the operator are on the machine. At opposite sides of the front portion of the machine are located vertically arranged whitttetrees 5 0 the upper ends of which are connected with a transverse vdraft beam 51 attached to the front ends of the sills 5, trees being connected by suitable members 52 with the outer ends of 1t will be understood that as the machine travels over a field, the pullers 19 being lowered into operative position, they are revolved and in this manner pull the beets out the outer ends wardly so as to be topped by the knife 82m the manner before described.

, I'I'a'ving'thus 'described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

beets, the combination of a Wheeled frame, cooperating pulling devices mounted thereon, a, tongue pivotally connected at its rear end portion with the frame, operating means connected with the rear extremity of the tongue for varying its position relative to the frame, and an adjusting frame connected with the puilers and engaged by theI tongue for operation thereby when the position of the tongue is changed relative to the frame.

2. ln a machine for'pulling beets, the combination of a wheeled frame, a tongue connected at its rear end portion to the frame, an operating device whereby the relative positions of the tongue and trame be changed, an adjnstingi'rame connected at its ing` at its upper end a transverse bar supported on the tongue, whercl'iy when the tongue is moved said also he moved to change the position of the pnllers, and a topping device movably mounted upon the adjusting trame above the pullers. i

o. Tn a machine for pulling and topping beets, theeomlunation ot a wheeled trame, a tongue pivotally connected at its rear end to .may be raised and loweredv tongue 22 in such a manner that operation,`

placed when he isseated the front axle-1. i

otl the ground and permit them to pass rear` lower end with the pullers and compriscured to the rear ends' of the sills 5, 'and to' the lower ends of said Whittle 1. 1n a machine for pulling and topping i.

j pivotal movement Said frame, a levei` device connected at the rear extremity of the tongue for eecting thereof relative to the frame, cooperating rotating beet pullers mounted on the frame, an adjust-ing frame for raising and lowering the said pullers,

said adjusting frame comprising side members connected rotatably at the lowerv ends with the pullei's, a transverse bar connected to the upper portion of the side members and resting on the rear end of the tongue, whereby when .the position of the tongue is changed relative to the frame, the beet pullers may be also moved into operative or inoperative positions, and a float operated knife mounted upon the sides of the'adjusting frame and freely movable vertically rel ative to the pullers. j

il. In a machine for pulling and topping beets, the combination of a support adapted to be .advanced over a field, coacting pullers,

a frame supporting said pullers, means forl operating the pullers, a knife mounted on said frame for floating movement, and means for moving the pullers into and out of operative position.

5. In a machine for pulling and topping beets, the combination of rotary pullers, a supporting frame therefor, an adjusting frame connected with said pullers, draft means connected with the supporting frame,

means for adjusting the draft device and simultaneously adjusting the adjusting frame, and a knife mounted on the adjust ing frame for lioating movement above the pullei's.

(3. In a machine for pulling and topping beets, the combination of a wheeled supporting frame, draft means therefor, pulling devices mounted thereon, means for connecting said pulling devices with the supporting frame, and means for simultaneously adjusting the draft device and the means connected with the pulling devices, whereby to throw the latter into and out of operative position.

7. In a machine for pulling and topping beets, the combination of a wheeled frame, pulling devices mountedV thereon, means for operating said pulling devices, a knife arranged above the pulling devices, a guard connected with the knife to automatically adjust the position thereof, as the pulling devices advance, a depending frame connected with the pulling devices, a tongue pivotally connected with the wheeled frame and adapted to engage the depending frame, means for adjusting the tongue and simultaneously adjusting. the position of the de pending frame, a seat connected with the tongue, and means permitting of relative movementf the pulling devices toward and from one another. y

8. In a machine lfor pulling and to ping beets, the combination of a wheeled i rame, driving shafts mounted thereon, puller shafts, Apulling devices mounted on the puller shafts, gearing connecting'the drive shafts and 'pulling shafts together, spring y means connecting the drive shafts to the puller shafts adjacent to said gearing, and

spring means connecting the puller shafts together to permit of relative movementof the pulling 'devices toward and from lone another.

A In testimony whereof I alliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHIL() M. GILBERT.'

Wlitnesses l J. L. IAIINES, H. H. RHODES.. 

